No matter your level of experience in this hobby there is always a chance of being electrocuted. Safety must be your first priority and remember that rushing the work is the quickest way to electric shock.  The goal is to reciece zero electric shocks in your lifetime.  Did you know...

 

• You can be injured or killed with as little as 30 Volts (VDC) potential.  Vintage electronics average upwards of 500 VDC.   

• The shock danger remains for hours or even days. And it remains even after the gear has been unplugged from the wall! 

• In some guitar amplifiers, for example, there is a part commonly known as 'The Death Cap'.

 

 If you choose to work on vacuum tube electronics you are doing so at your own risk!

 

Some generalities to keep in mind as you work. The items below are not a list of saftey rules in any way.  They are generalities provided on an educational basis only. We feel you should be aware of these topic areas. They are recommendations for your thought and further research...

 

• Don't work on open live gear (OLG), which is gear that is  powered on with the circuit exposed, unless there is no other way to accomplish the task. 
   
• When working on OLG you should plan your tasks careully and perform them in a stepwise manner ensuring that between steps as you setup for the next task your gear is powered off and it's capacitors drained of their voltages.  The order of excution for each step/task is...
  1. Plan the task. 
  2. Ensure the gear is safe to work on.
  3. Setup the task.
  4. Execute the task.
  5. Render the gear safe. 
  6. Move to the next task.

 

• When working on OLG never put both hands near the gear.  Use zero or one hand only to accomplish the testing measurement(s) you're taking during the task.
  
  The theory here has to do with the path electricity will take through your body should you recieve an electric shock.  If you always keep one hand by your side when working near OLG it is less likely an electric shock would go through your heart so less likely it will kill you.
   
• When inspecting gear, live or not, don't use your fingers or hands to point at or manipulate the circuit parts. Find a non-conductive pointer and use it to poke around.  Chopsticks seem to be a popular choice.  Eldon uses a small phenolic rod for his inspections.
   

• There are current and voltage limiting devices available that help reduce your risk.  A common current limiter(lightbulb limiter) can be made at home with simple parts while voltage limiting is usual done through the use of a Variac which is a variable transformer